A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 I have been giving a great deal of thought on how to stop my incessant ruminating about   everything.  

A MEANINGFUL LIFE

Several days ago a NYT op-ed columnist wrote about the definition of a meaningful life.  Having been a reader of his column for many years, I was not surprised that David Brooks stressed community involvement and service as keys to achieving a sense of meaning, linking them to an adherence to a moral system, secular or religious.  He went on to say that meaningfulness is based totally on emotion and sentiment, and therefore cannot be defined.  As expected, the comments to the column offered a wide range of alternative opinions on the matter.

My reaction to the column was immediate; Brooks was dismissive of anything that cannot be confined within a set of prescribed and objective moral systems, showing little to no respect for the authenticity of the subjective individual human spirit.  There is no universal definition of what defines a meaningful life.  Everyone is capable of determining for them selves what gives their life meaning and purpose, and it may have nothing to do with any moral system or community involvement.  Serving others, or taking on the burden of a charitable cause may be the defining purpose for some, while others my find their meaning elsewhere: family, work, faith, art, literature, or almost anything one can think of. 

I have no idea how many people feel they are living a meaningful or purposeful life. Or for that matter, how many even think about the question.  I suspect that most people, at one time or another, think about their lives in these terms.  My work, medicine and art, have defined my life, giving it meaning and purpose.  I cannot imagine living any other way. 

A THOUGHT FOR TONIGHT

Don't lose sleep over a little bit of insomnia.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Believing in something may make it a personal truth for the believer, but not a universal truth. Some people lose sight of the fact that faith is personal; it takes us where evidence cannot.  It is wrong to subjugate others to your belief system.  Belief in a supreme being is a CHOICE for all of us to make or reject, a choice that does not reflect on the moral character or worth of the individual.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Is it naive to think that as individuals we can make a difference in this immense world in which we live?  I don’t think so; it may be infinitesimally small, but we touch the world when we touch one another.  Every day, with every encounter with someone we have the opportunity to make a difference.  The smallest act, the briefest encounter, carries with it limitless, and un-imaginable potential to reach far beyond its simple beginning.  We make the world better or worse, by the way we interact with the people around us.

There are the obvious acts of kindness we provide, extending a helping hand, and offering support and friendship in time of need.  This can be done anonymously from a distance, or intimately with personal intensity, depending on the circumstances.  As important as these acts are, they are episodic, and generated by specific needs.  We can do more.

We can shine a light on others; lifting them up and making them feel good about themselves.  We do this by listening, by supporting and encouraging, and by being honest and not posturing or trying to impress.  Love and respect should be the foundation of all interactions, modified of course by personal history, a love that leads us to try to understand and accept people for who and what they are, as well as encourage them to achieve their own self hood.

There are those whose behavior casts a shadow of darkness over others: naysayers who predict failure and can only see the downside of anything - complainers, whose only concern is their own problems, and are delighted to share them with anyone who will listen – belittlers who need to mock others in order to feel good about themselves – converters who need to convince others that they must see things as they do, and the actors, whose main concern is to impress others.

A dear friend, Hal Owens, a retired Methodist minister, has coined the terms “star people” and “shadow people” to describe this behavior.  Each of us can make the world a better place if we maximize our star behavior and minimize the shadows we cast.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Religions that categorize individuals based on their beliefs ARE divisive, harmful, and potentially dangerous. Love is inclusive.

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The most difficult aspect of not believing in some divine judgment of our behavior is that evil goes unpunished.  Goodness shares a bench with evil, each existing for its own sake, and that is hard to accept.